Contemporary notes at the FLA dinner

Compère Nihal Arthanayake began what promises to be a long-term involvement with the Finance & Leasing Association ("FLA") at the association's Annual Dinner on Tuesday 10 February. He brought huge energy and a welcome combination of comedy and authority, and will next be seen in a new FLA podcast series as well as at future FLA flagship events.

Shanika Amarasekara MBE spoke at her first FLA Annual Dinner, having taken over from the outgoing Stephen Haddrill who stepped down last July. And MP Lucy Rigby KC MP took one evening off the pressures of coalface politics to chat with Nihal (the author, by the way, of “Let’s Talk: How to Have Better Conversations”) in a friendly but carefully probing conversation.

New for 2026, the FLA Outstanding Contribution Awards recognised individuals whose commitment to the FLA has helped steer, strengthen and support the industry. In particular, it shone a spotlight on the following three industry stalwarts:

Alex Hughes, Managing Director, CA Auto Bank — Recognised for his calm, thoughtful leadership as Chair of the Motor Finance Division Management Committee during one of the most challenging periods the sector has faced, providing reassurance, clarity and direction at a time of real uncertainty.

Ylva Oertengren, Chief Operating Officer, Simply Asset Finance and Chair of The Leasing Foundation — lauded for her sustained leadership in championing talent, inclusion and social value across financial services, and for driving meaningful progress that is strengthening the industry now and for the future.

Tim Smith, Head of Motor Finance, Black Horse Finance — Tim has given nearly two decades of dedicated service to the FLA and the industry, including his pivotal role in the development of Specialist Automotive Finance (“SAF”), where he was active in raising professional standards and capability across the sector.

The charity chosen by the FLA for this year’s Annual Dinner was Money Ready, a UK charity helping people build the skills and confidence to manage money well. And in a change from prerecorded digital music files, the ‘stings’ for the award winners and the soundtrack to round off the four-course diner was supplied live by the London Contemporary Voices. Despite the ‘contemporary’ in their name, the singers turned to some reassuringly well-established classics, although trying to push an FLA audience to a disco dance-along at the end of the night was always going to be a tall order…but you can’t fault them for trying!

So the events season is well and truly under way, and the bar has been set high; the FLA manages to reinvent the Annual Dinner each time around, without losing the scale and the sense of quiet authority that make it so special.

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